Written Question · S1W-28640 · Session 1
(a) how, (b) when and (c) by whom non-GM crops located 50 m from the GM crop trial at Munlochy were tested for contamination.
The question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how, (b) when and (c) by whom non-GM crops located 50 m from the GM crop trial at Munlochy were tested for contamination.
The answer
No specific monitoring was carried out on non-GM crops situated in the vicinity of the GM crop trial at Munlochy.Separation distances are in place around GM crop trials to minimise the potential for cross-pollination. They do not reflect any doubts about safety; they are used to maintain high levels of purity in adjacent crops and are a recognised method of enabling different crops to co-exist. The Executive's scientific advisers are satisfied that neither cross-pollination involving the variety of GM herbicide tolerant oil seed rape being grown in the farm-scale trials, nor the pollen itself landing on neighbouring crops, poses a threat to human health or the environment. The harvested GM crop and any sexually compatible crops grown within the separation distances surrounding GM crop trials will not enter the human food or animal feed chain.
In the Official Report
No contribution in the Official Report cites S1W-28640 by reference.